Apparatus for marking strands



TOR

J. W. OLSON Aug. s, 1939.

APPARATUS 'FOR MARKINGSTRANDS Filed Sept. 28, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet l A TTORNE Y JO BY Aug. 8, 1939. J. w. OLSON APPARATUS FOR MARKING STRANDS Filed Sept. 28, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG 4 FIG. 5

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persed in a base compatible withthe bituminous r2.1;ac11

vUNITED STATES PATENT J OFFICE 2.16am APPARATUS Foa MARKING sTaANns f 'Joim W. onen, Hastings nii nungen; N. Y., as -signor to .Anaconda Wire and- Cable Company, New York, N. Y., a corporation oi' Delaware 'Application september as, 1937, serlaiNu. 166.079

, 4 claims. koi. roi-36)' 'I'his invention relates to improvements in devices for applying lettering to strands and more particularly relates to apparatus adapted to practice the method of marking disclosed in my co- 5 pending lapplication. Ser. No. 164.474,*led Sep- .temperv 18, 1937 whichl i's especiallydirected-to a i novel type of identiilcation for electric conductors:4

Electric conductors as commonlymade are frequently provided with exterior layers-of wax-like finishing materials which tend to lubricate the be easily pulled into conduits and also preventin contact. Similarly the finish employed may be chosen for its resistance to burning and materials such vas stearine pitch are commonly sed to impart a degree of noninilammability to the lnsu- .-20 ing. different circuits and for ease for installation,

` it is essential that these be readily identified one from another.. In the past various colored layers of lacquer'or enamel have been Vplaced over stearirie pitch to provide a color coating and still retain a degree of ame resistance `but' the number oi conductors which can be identied in this man-" ner Ais limited by the number of available colors which are readilyk distinguishable from eachother and it has generally been found that confusion 4results if more than ilve colors are used.

In myaforementioned application I have dis' closed a method oi marking, strands which'are ilnished with a layer of bituminous or waxlike the strand"'are` partlally illled with pigments dismaterial.V The pigment .is transferred to the indentations from a precoated strip of paper or simlilar material and it has been found possible to places but slightsstress lon the. strip. Further .obiects and advantages of this invention .will be ,M 'dl'sclosed.-trom the following detailed description .g Figure 2 is a section surface-of` the conductors thus allowing them to` vIt is tobe ,compounds in which indentations in thesurf'ace oi.'

per minute. A still further'obiect istheprovision of marking apparatusfwhich; involves a. minimum number of movingfparts andwyvhich when read in connection with theaccompanying A' of an electric conductor 10 which has been marked with the apparatus illustrated in Figure 1. i Figure 3 is an elevation of the conductor illustrated in Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a section of the machine-'shown in 15y Figure 1 taken at the plane. A-A. p Figure 5 is a detailedelevation, certain parts having -been broken away, of, the marking wheel and idlerpulley of the mechanism illustrated in Fure1- .-.20 Referringto vFigure 1, the rotary cradle Il 'which is fitted witha marking wheel and afsupply of pigmented strip is provided with. gudgeons 42 at-both extremities which terminate in the inner J raceway 43 oi the bearings |13. The outer race- 25 `ll'rwhich carry the supply and takeup spools re- 3u spectively.

understood that this device will ordinarilyfform a portion o! a'fln'ishing line such as is commonly used for the application ofcompounds tothe wire .during manufacture. Whfen' 35 v vthis is the case the 4strand I9 will be'drawn between the 'marking wheel I4 and the idler pulley 20 by the capstan or' reel uponfwhich the finished wire'is coiled. The idler pulley 20. mounted 'in the Aturk 2l which is'pivoted about the lrod 22, exerts .40 sufiicint pressui-"eon the moving strand i9' to 'rotate the cradlei I; The compression spring 23 may be adjusted by the-Wingnut to p`rovide the correct amount of force. In some cases, however,

it may be desirable to employ the marking. mech- .45

-yoke Il in the form of a? roll Ilmounted onan .axle 2S. The width of the strip should be slightly greater than the length of the 'legend which is to 1 .be impressed on the strand and the length ot the operation for a period of -at least one working shift. It has been found that a roll of paper four inches in diameter containing approximately one thousandfeet will run without replenishing for eight hours since only six feet yof strip are re- Grams Parailln wax (melting point 140 F.) 50 Carnauba wax., 15 Turpeiinn 112 Carbon tetrachloride 112 Light mineral oil 1 Extra fine copper powder 285 All the above materials are mixed together, slowly heated to approximately 200? F. and are maintained atthis temperature until a homogeneous mass is obtained. When cool the mixture is quite viscous andis ready for application to e paper or cloth strip in 'accordance with methods well known in the art. When'applied in a thin layer' the solvents evaporate leaving a illm of pigthe strand I9, and the marking disc vment dispersed in a wax-like base which is relatively hard and possesses a moderate degree of resistance to rubbing. It is of course possible to substitute other pigments such as titanium dioxide, umber, French ochre or cadmium orange for the copper dust used in the above illustration, the quantity of coloring matter used being dependent'on the degree of opacity required.

When drawn from the supply roll I1 by the take-up spool the strip is carried across the face of th'e marking Wheel Il which consists of a mark` ing disc 39 carrying raised type I6 and two flange wheels 38. The strip 26 is brought across the surface of the marking type'- I5 and then after the impression has been made in the wire, is rolled upon the take-up spool I6, which is ailixed to the ratchet wheel 21. A cam 126 is mounted on lthe inner surface of the side plate I2 so as to depress the plunger 29 during that portion-of rotation when the strip 26'is'not in contact with the strand I9. Depressionv oi the' plunger 29, held normally in extended position by the compression spring 3 6, actuates the pawl II in a small arc about its-axis '32. In this manner the take-up spool I8 is rotated sumciently during each revolution of the marking wheel I4 to expose a'n unused portion of the pigmented strip 26 to' the wire at a time when the strip and strand are not in contact. Details`of the marking wheel showing the relationship between the idler pulley 20, strip 26,

illustrated in .subsequent drawings'.

An insulated electric conductor, typical of the strands which may be marked with this apparatus iS illustrated iniFlZUl'e 2- `AS Shown COndCtOIT whose axes are normal to the'axis of rotation of 32 is covered with an extruded layer of rubber 33 which is in turn protected with afiibrous braid 3l. 'A layer of ilameprooiing" material 35, such as stearine pitch, is applied over the-braid so that l the completed conductor will not support combustion. In order to overcomethe stickiness of the fiameproofing layer, an outer coating of wax 361s applied and it is in this layer that the indentations 31 are made which are partially filled with pigmented compound 38, transferred to the conductor under pressure from the strip 26.

38 are furtherv As illustrated in Figure 3'the markings wouldv commonly comprise the name 'of the manufacturer and the maximum voltage for which the 4wire was intended and, in addition, it has been spective yoke's 4l and 45 and the marking disc 3! is held between them by suitable bolts l0. The strip 26 is maintained in position between the surface of the marking indicia I5 and the strand I9 by the slots 4I placed near the outer portion of the ilange discs 38 as shown in Figure 5. For purposes' of clarity the strip 26 as illustrated is not indicated as depressed into the surface of the strand, but it is desirable that the indentations produced in the surface of the strand I9 be sul ciently deep so that they will not be completely filled by the pigment taken from the strip.

As used in this specification the term strand is intended to denote any strip, cord, sheet, wire, rod or film which is adapted to be marked by the apparatus of this invention.

'Ihe novel features and operation of the device will be apparent from the foregoing description. While the apparatus has been shown and the structure described in detail, it is "obvious that this is not to be considered limited to the exact form disclosed and that changesl may be made therein within the scope of what is claimed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. Apparatus for marking strands comprising a rotatable disc bearing raised marking indicia and a yco-operating idler pulley, said apparatus being actuated by drawing the strand to be marked between said marking .disc and said idler pulley in a 'direction normal to the axis of rotation of said disc and means actuated by the rotation of said disc effective to move a pigmented strip across the face of the marking indicia in a direction parallel to the axis of rotation of said disc while said strip' 'sure on a strand passediacross the surface of said marking indicia in a direction perpendicular to 'the axis of` rotation of said cradle, a roll of strip carried by said cradle, the strip from said roll being coated with material transferable under pressure and means operated by the rotation of said cradle for advancing said strip across the 'surface of said marking indicia in a direction parallel to the axis of rotation of said cradleA at a time when said strip is not in contact with said strand said strip being passed between spools said-cradle, the entire apparatus being actuated by the movement of said strand.

3. Apparatus for marking'strands'comprising a rotatable cradle and a cooperating idler pulley, said cradle carrying raised marking indicia located in the same plane as said idler pulley and means attached to said cradle for advancing a pigmented strip across the face of said marking indicia in a direction parallel to the axis of rotation of said cradle at a time when said strip is.not in contact with said strand said pigmented strip being passed between spools whose axes are-normal to the axis of rotation of said cradle, the entire apparatus being actuated by the movement of said strand betweensaid idler pulley and said marking indicia in a directionv perpendicular t the axis of rotation of said cradle.

4. Apparatus for marking strands comprising a rotatable cradle, marking indicia carried by said cradle, means for exerting pressure on a strand passed across the surface of said marking indiciain adirection perpendicular to the axis oi' rota tion of said cradle, means actuated by the-rotation of said cradle for moving a pigmented strip across the surface of said marking indicia in a direction parallel to the axis of rotation of said cradle at a time when said strip is not in contact with said str and, said pigmented strip being' passed between spools whose axes are normal to the axis of rotation oi' said cradle,the entire apparatus being actuated by the movement of said strand.

JCHN W. OLSON. 

